


Rising Temptations

by lorir_writes



Series: Meant To Be (Desire & Decorum AU) [14]
Category: Desire & Decorum (Visual Novel)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Mild Sexual Content, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:21:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorir_writes/pseuds/lorir_writes
Summary: Hamid and Daphne’s relationship reaches new levels of intimacy once they’re alone together.
Relationships: Hamid/Main Character (Desire & Decorum)
Series: Meant To Be (Desire & Decorum AU) [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1245821
Kudos: 3





	Rising Temptations

When the elevator doors closed, Hamid let out a sigh in relief whilst he walked to the sofa with his girlfriend’s help. As his shoulders visibly relaxed, Daphne gazed up at him with a curious look. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, it’s…” he trailed off smiling to himself and looked at her. “Everything’s perfect.”

“Really? You seemed to be concerned about something.”

“Was it so obvious?” He asked as they sat down.

“Not at first. You hid it well until everyone left.”

“I guess I didn’t realise I was nervous about this until I saw them here.” He simpered, shaking his head. “This is the first time I introduced a girlfriend to my family. And I think you’ve met eighty per cent of my loved ones in the last 24 hours.”

“Did I? What about all those other girlfriends with dark hair and almond eyes?” She teased, picking up his injured ankle and placing it over her lap.

“I didn’t have as many girlfriends as Malak insinuated,” he corrected. “She met two of them because we crossed paths in public places. I never thought about introducing anyone I date until you came along and I wanted it to be special. And it was amazing. If Nesrim could have met you in person and anne¹ didn’t make a mess this morning, it could’ve been perfect.”

“Hamidciğim, you couldn’t have predicted your mother would show up this morning.” She cupped his cheek. “You said it yourself she’s busy with a court case outside the city. You didn’t expect to see her again until the end of the week. And I’m honoured Nesrim took a little break on her honeymoon to meet me, even if it was just through video chat.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” He answered, placing his hand atop hers before holding it and kissing her knuckles. “I’m glad you met them today. I had no doubts they would like you, but it was nice to see you talking with them.”

“I’m glad I met them too,” she said whilst she began to remove his orthopaedic boot. “Your siblings and your father are wonderful people. From the video call, Nesrin and her husband seemed to be a lovely couple.”

“I’m elated to know you like them.” His smile grew wider.

Fishing her phone out her pocket, she tapped the screen to silence an alarm and stood up, putting his feet on the sofa. “All right. Time for your antibiotics.”

“Did you put an alarm to remind me when I should take my medications?” He arched an eyebrow as amusement played on his lips.

“Yes. I suggest you do the same when I return to UK.” She gave him a knowing as she walked to the kitchen to fetch him a glass of water. She returned to the sofa with the medication and the water, handing it to Hamid. “Are you feeling anything?”

“No.” He placed the glass on the coffee table and winced. Instinctively, he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Not even neck pain?”

“Um…” He averted his gaze and winced again.

Her eyes went upwards as she stood up kissed his forehead. “I’ll right back. In the meantime, take off your shirt,” she ordered and left the living room.

“Excuse me?” His brows knitted together.

“You heard what I said. Take it off,” she yelled from the main suite.

“Why?”

“You’ll know soon enough.”

“What if I want to know right now?”

“Just wait. I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

“Unless you come back without your blouse, I don’t think I want to be shirtless right now. It’s a bit cold today, you know,” he retorted.

“Very funny, but all you’re getting from me right now is a back massage,” she said as she returned with a body oil in one hand, sat down beside him. “Shirt off, Osmanoğlu.”

He grinned, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it on the couch, then shifted on his seat when she gestured with her index finger for him to turn away from her. From the corner of an eye, he watched her small hands grabbing the bottle of body oil and putting it back on the coffee table. The smell of jasmines seeped through the air as her soft warm hands touched his shoulders and moved up, towards his neck, thumbs adding the perfect amount of pressure to undo the knots on his muscles.

“Oh… That's—” he blurted, but he didn’t know exactly what to say. It was hard to think with her hands working on his neck and shoulders, taking away all the tension from his upper back. “Wow!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Her voice was lower, calmer.

“It sure is…” He groaned, closing his eyes to relish the feeling of her hands going lower, kneading the muscles of his back. “When did you learn how to give massages?”

“I don’t know… I think I was eight when lǎo lao² taught me. She worked her whole life as a massotherapist and she wanted me to have at least one of her skills since it was obvious to her that I can’t cook.”

A chuckle escaped his lips. “That’s a wise decision.”

“Hey!” She whined, poking him under his ribs with her index finger, making him flinch a little as he cackled. “You can’t expect a little girl to know how to make dumplings from scratch.”

“It’s fine. You have many…” He trailed off, trying to suppress a moan. “…Other abilities." 

"I also learned Chinese and painting with her. She used to tell me about the cathartic effect of express emotions through art. Lǎo lao used to say that we all should channel negative thoughts and feelings to create something instead of letting them consume us,” she mused as her hands idly moved on Hamid’s back.

“That’s an interesting perspective of art. And it makes sense. All artists express their thoughts and emotions about life through their craft.”

“Precisely, every art piece has its own story,” she added.

“I’m fascinated by the ones you tell through your art. Your comics of Drake are so full of joy and that doodle of your stepmother is hilarious.” He grinned.

“Yeah, Drake is a hit on my Pictagram and on my blog, but Countess Mingerietta doodle was an unexpected surprise,” She giggled.

His eyes wrinkled at the sound of her laugh and soon everything settled into silence.

“Hamid?”

“Mmm?”

“You’re so quiet. Are you falling asleep?”

He chortled. “No.”

“Why are you so quiet then?”

“I just remembered the first time I went to your apartment and saw that watercolour painting of your parents’ wedding. When you told me their story, I couldn’t help but wonder how happy they were when they eloped. Of all your artworks, that painting is my favourite one.”

“Mine too.” She smiled wistfully as her hands rested on his shoulders.

Sensing he may have touched a sensitive subject, Hamid turned around to look at her. Her eyes were glossy.

“I’m sorry…” She uttered.

“Don’t be. I brought it up, I’m the one who has to apologise,” he said, cradling her in arms.

“You don’t have to. I know you had good intentions when you mentioned the painting. I love that painting and it makes me happy to know you like it too, I just—” she trailed off, taking her time to gather her strength before speaking. “That painting is inspired by their last encounter. I saw them through the window of her hospital room. I don’t know what they talked about, but it must have been something great. Their smiles were so genuine, so full of joy. Mama passed away later that day.” Her brows drew together in frown and tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Aşkım, I didn’t know… I’m sorry.” He reached for her face, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

“It’s okay. Only Dad knew about the story.” The lady shrugged. “You’re the second person I told about it.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know. I guess no one asks about it because once I mention my mother passed away, they’re afraid to talk about it.”

“Most people don’t know what to do when someone starts crying.”

“But you do.”

“There isn’t anything left to do except allowing the other person to vent. I reply when I feel like I should and offer them some comfort. And I happen to have excellent shoulders for anyone to cry on.” He gave her a knowing smile.

“You really do.” She sniffed, hugging his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. “I miss Mama. I wish she could be here. I’m not complaining about dad, he’s the best. But life would have been so much easier if she was around.”

“It certainly would. She must have been a great woman.” His fingers raked through the soft waves of her dark hair. “I think you’ve been doing a remarkable job on your own. She would have been proud if she could see how you handle yourself as a noblewoman, all the work you still do at the elders centre whenever you go back to UK, your superb art, how you take care of your boyfriend.” He wriggled his eyebrows.

She chortled softly. “Thank you,” she replied, brushing her tears away. “I just feel tired sometimes and I wish I still had her help me.”

“I know, aşkım,” he kissed her forehead, tightening the embrace as she sat on his lap, placing her head on his chest as she cried in silence.

A combination of spicy, woody, sweet and slightly burnt fragrances spread in the air when Daphne rose from slumber. A plush tan blanket covered her body and her head rested on a pillow. She looked around, unsure of how much time it has passed. The sun slowly set in the horizon through the glass doors when she heard his voice.

“Sağol."³ With his shirt back on, Hamid nodded with to a woman in her mid-thirties as she put a tray on the coffee table. When the stranger disappeared from view, he closed the book in his hands, placed it on the side table and smiled. "I knew the coffee would wake you up. Are you feeling better now?”

“Yeah…” The lady hid a yawn behind her hand. “How long was I out?”

“About one hour and a half. We both fell asleep, actually. You’re still recovering from all these days that you didn’t sleep well.”

“That makes sense…” Daphne agreed, rubbing one hand on her eyes when her stomach growled.

His lips curled up in a smile. “You’re as hungry as I am and we have to fix that. Come sit next to me.”

“Will you guide me through it? There are so many things here and I have no idea where to start,” she explained taking a seat next to him.

“It’ll be my pleasure.” He winked. “Have a sip of the coffee first.”

She did as instructed and her eyes immediately go wild as the drink hit her tongue. “Oh my…”

Hamid chortled and offered her a small glass of water. “How is it?”

“It’s strong! And so bitter, even though it seems to be sweetened.” She took a small sip of the water. “Now I know why you hate American coffee.”

He doubled over.

“Am I crazy or is there something spicy in it?”

“You’re not, it’s the cardamom.” He took a Turkish delight from the tray and offered them to her. “Have one of these.”

Taking one of the candies, Daphne was surprised by the sweet flavour mixed with rosewater.

“Now drink some of your coffee again.”

Once the coffee ran down her tongue, all flavours fused together in perfect harmony. “This is marvellous!” She commented after taking another sip of the water. “If this is how you always serve coffee, the world has a lot to learn with Turkish citizens.”

“I like to think so too.” He beamed, then reached for the plate with round-shaped pastries covered with syrup, offering one to her. “This is my personal favourite.”

Taking one of them to her mouth, she smiled in delight as the sweet dough filled with chocolate sauce exploded into her mouth. With the coffee, the flavours once again complemented one another. “I can see why this one is your favourite. It’s so good! What is it called?”

“Lokmas. They’re mostly served on special occasions like house parties, business events, weddings. But today has been quite special for both of us, which means we deserve a little treat.”

"I agree.” The viscountess beamed.

Between snacks and coffee, the couple laughed whilst they talked about all sorts of topics. At each new subject, the two of them revealing more details about one another and some of their common interests.

“Aww… I didn’t know you rescued Ares. I assumed you followed his Pictagram profile because he’s cute.” She smiled as they looked through a Pictogram profile of a dog on a wheelchair.

“Well, his cuteness is one of the many reasons I follow him on social media.” He chuckled. “But yes, I did find him on the side of the road after someone ran over him. I don’t think I could’ve slept at all that night if I didn’t take him to the vet right away. He could’ve died.”

“Why didn’t you keep him?”

“I thought about it, but I spent most of my days between uni and work. I didn’t have time to take care of him properly then. Yusuf and I spent a week looking for a home for him. But I have to admit giving him away was hard.”

“Don’t you miss having pets?”

“I do, but it’s been years since I had any pets. I don’t think I’d know how to take care of them, especially when it comes to puppies or kittens.”

“You can always learn again. Now that you’re living by yourself, you could use the company and you’ll have plenty of time to take care of them for the next three months. When you return to uni and work, they’ll big enough to spend the day by themselves when you’re away.”

“Interesting point.”

“I know.” She gave him her most complacent smile before lifting one of the bite-size candies to her mouth.

Hamid suppressed a smile, hiding it under his cup of coffee as he took one last sip.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just funny to see you acting so smug when you have chocolate syrup all over your face. You look like a child on sugar rush,” he joked.

“I do not!” Daphne shoved him playfully, then reached for a napkin and tried to clean up her chin.

“All right, but let me help you with that before you actually smudge it over your face.” He grabbed another napkin and holding her chin with one hand, he began to clean the corners of her mouth.

Whilst he carefully wiped off the chocolate sauce, she gazed at him, marvelling at his stubble, his strong jaw, his lips. Slowly, his thumb moved up, grazing her bottom lip and they locked eyes. The intensity in his gaze, glancing from her eyes to her lips made her stomach flutter. Heat rose on her cheeks. Without a second thought, she leaned in and he did the same. They were just centimetres apart when the maid’s heels clicked on the wooden floor. And as if pulled out of a trance, they moved away from each other, keeping a respectful distance.

“Size sunabileceğim başka bir şey var mı, efendim?"⁴ The woman asked, looking at the two of them.

"Hayır, bolca aldım. Teşekkür ederim. Her şey lezzetliydi,"⁵ she replied.

He glanced at his girlfriend from the corner of an eye and his lips curled up in a proud smile. "Ben de. Teşekkürler, Meral hanım. Kovuldun."⁶

"İyi akşamlar,"⁷ the woman nodded, took the tray and left.

Once they bid farewell to the maid, Hamid turned to Daphne. "Your pronunciation is outstanding.”

“Aren’t you just saying it to make me feel better?”

“A little,” he confessed. “But you’re doing great so far. And I appreciate your effort of learning Turkish, even though you didn’t have to.”

“I know. But learning a new language is a nice pastime. Besides, I want to know more about things that can help me understand you.”

“This is so thoughtful of you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then scrunched his nose. “And now I feel like a lazy boyfriend.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re dedicating so much of your time for me. You’re taking care of me, you’re skipping Christmas Eve feast with your family to stay with me, you’re learning Turkish because of me.”

“But you did many things for me in the past.”

“That was a long time ago and they weren’t as meaningful.” He fake pouted. “I should step up my game and learn about fashion or Chinese drama.”

She giggled. “You don’t have to. Besides, it wasn’t hard to choose between a feast with Countess Henrietta and the Suttons and travel abroad to spend quality time with you.”

“But I’ll still do something meaningful just to see you smile.”

“And I’ll hold you to that.” She grinned and leaned in to kiss his cheek. Before she knew, her lips were close to his again and they kissed. As his arms encircled her waist, she placed a hand on his chest to stop him. “Your maid left, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” he whispered, dipping his head down her neck, his breath warm on her skin.

“No one else is coming to visit you, right?”

“No. And if anyone does, they’ll have to wait in the lobby,” he replied as his hands roamed down her sides.

With a mischievous smile, Daphne pushed Hamid down on the sofa and climbed over him. Time seemed to stand still as their lips met. His finger dug into her hair, caressing the nape of her neck, eliciting gooseflesh all over her back. When she gasped in response, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, silencing her moans. One of her hands wandered down his chest and delved into his shirt. Her fingernails grazed softly on his abs and his muscle rippled under her touch as his breath grew heavier.

“Two can play this game, Hamidciğim,” she purred in his ear.

“I can see that.” He smirked, guiding her lips back to his and his free hand moved to her hips as she began to rock against him.

Just then, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. The two of them glanced at the mobile but didn’t pull away. But as it continued to buzz, she tried to reach for her phone with one hand without breaking away from him.

He groaned in frustration. “Don’t pick up.”

“I won’t. I’ll dismiss the call,” she replied between kisses.

“Let it go to voicemail.”

“No. The buzzing sound is annoying.” she made a face, still trying to grab the phone without pulling away.

Chuckling, he sat her up and looked up at her. “Turn it off, Daphne.”

“Okay.” She leaned down for a quick kiss then reached for the mobile vibrating on the table. “Crap,” she mumbled, scrambling out of the sofa as she picked up the phone.

___________

¹ Mother

² Grandma

³ Thanks

⁴ Can I offer you anything else, sir/miss?

⁵ No, I have had plenty. Thank you. Everything was delicious.

⁶ Me too. Thank you, Mrs. Meral. You’re dismissed.

⁷ Formal greeting when someone says hello or goodbye early in the evening.


End file.
